Fresh from his Gold Medal win at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden show, we had the pleasure of catching up with Landscape and Pool Designer Darin Bradbury of Mint Design Studio. We talked Palm Springs style gardens, current landscaping trends and how to pick the perfect pool tile.
In your award winning show garden ‘Aurum’ we see elements of Hollywood and Palms Springs Art deco style, what aspects of Aurum do you see being utilised in a typical Melbourne garden?
I’d really love to see the ‘Hollywood’ style integrated into Melbourne gardens. The Hollywood style is a little more relaxed than what would typically be used in a residential backyard here in Melbourne. California has similar hot summers and the Hollywood style is all about alfresco dining but it’s not so hardscape centric. There’s a focus on relaxed planting styles and open pergolas that I think could be used here more. It’s also more cost effective than installing a fully roofed structure with lots of paving. What is most likely to be utilised in a Melbourne garden though is the Palm Springs aspects of our design. The Palm Springs style still inspires people so much and it’s hard not to look at those houses and not want something similar for your own backyard. It’s a very enduring style for the home and garden. I suspect, like a lot of mid-century design, the Palm Springs style will always be relevant and an inspiring source of design.
You’ve designed hundreds of landscapes and pools over you time, you know what looks good and what doesn’t. What are 3 tips you can give someone who is selecting materials for their outdoor project?
1. Think of the overall design. Don’t get too caught up with picking each individual material on its own merits. The biggest mistake people make is thinking that every material has to be a drawcard in the landscape and they end up with a whole bunch of ‘exciting’ materials that fight for your attention and look too busy. 2. Choose materials that compliment one another. Contrasting colours and materials can look good in the hands of design professionals, especially in interior design, but your landscape is going to be around for a very long time so choosing subtle materials that compliment each other is a safer bet over time. They are less likely to date and it’s easier to get right. 3. Have a single design idea and put together a mood board. Don’t get sucked into the Pinterest/Instagram vortex and start trying to fuse a whole bunch of design styles. It’s easy to change your mind if you’re on socials all day but that just confuses things. Pick a style, run with it and put together a mood board to see how all your materials work with one another.
What are the current trends in pool design and landscaping you are seeing?
Negative edge pools and spas have exploded over the last few years. They used to be a niche market but now they are everywhere. They look amazing but I think we’ll start to see them ease off a bit in the next few years. I think we’ll continue to see more plunge pools installed. Land space is getting smaller so the demand for the smaller pools will continue to grow.
On the landscape side of things I think that we’ll start to see more plant oriented gardens becoming popular. After those repeated lockdowns I think people are seeing the health advantages of getting back into the garden so people are more prepared to get back outside and work on their plants.
What do we need to consider when selecting pool tiles?
The hardest choice for clients will always be the pool tile. Why? Because pool tile samples don’t really give you an idea of how the pool will look once it is filled with water. Water is blue. The deeper the pool, the more impact that water colour has. So, unlike paving, the pool tile is heavily influenced by that blue colour. My number one tip when selecting a pool tile would be to look at images of that pool tile in an actual pool scenario. Number two would be, if possible, look at images of that pool in full sun and overcast conditions. When the sun is out, the colour of the water influences the pool colour a lot, when it’s overcast the tile colour will dominate. Pools always look brighter and more inviting in full sun so if you can try to see images of the pool tile in both conditions. My third recommendation is to talk to someone with experience who has selected pool tiles and seen how they look in-situ. This might be a pool builder, a designer like ourselves or the pool tile supplier. There are pool tiles that clients would never pick out of a line up but look absolutely stunning once in water. Water changes everything. Finally people should consider durability when selecting pool tiles. For instance, there can be issues with some tiles popping of the walls over time. We’ve found that a well-made ceramic tile is the most durable option for your pool. Thankfully the colour range for ceramic tiles has dramatically improved over recent years. Someone like Klay Tiles have really opened our eyes to a world of innovative new colours in ceramics and we now have so many incredible tile options to choose from.
